The Maritimes Spring 2012

The

Maritimes

Issue 39 • Spring 2012

Magazine of the Maritime Union of New Zealand

ISSN 1176-3418

Organizing for our future www.munz.org.nz

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 1

Your union – a real union

Meat Workers Union delegates join Maritime Union Local 13 members at Teal Park, Ports of Auckland, 5 October 2012 (photo by Dave Phillips)

By Garry Parsloe National President The Maritime Union of New Zealand is a union with a long and proud tradition.

As a real union we are committed to principles of collectivism – standing together working in the best interests of all our members.

As a real union we are independent of the employer – what we do is not determined by the employer but democratically by our members – members like you.

You know that we will confront those who attack us and who try to undermine our conditions and make things worse for us and our families.

That’s what we have all been doing over the last year, those who are members of MUNZ have proudly stood up to attacks on us and our families.

We have managed to stop a mass dismissal that POAL would have actioned in March of this year.

We will get a collective agreement that is fair and protects the rights that enable us to have security while being flexible and achieving a good outcome for our owners, the people of Auckland.

A real union like MUNZ acts together – an attack on one is an attack on all.

You have seen a great deal of support from MUNZ members outside of POAL and in the wider union movement in NZ and internationally because of this principle.

We are part of a wider union movement that stands together. We belong to the NZ Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).

As a real union MUNZ is part of something bigger than just Ports of Auckland.

You will know, because you have seen this in action, that MUNZ has trained delegates on site to give immediate advice and information.

We also have fulltime paid officials that you elect who are experienced in industrial relations and who know the maritime industry.

Those officials are there to help you individually and collectively and have the expertise to do so. Where necessary our union can access legal, Health and Safety and ACC experts to help take our cases.

As a member of a real union you have access to all this assistance when you need it.

As a member of MUNZ you get regular communication via meetings and newsletters – special newsletters like this one as well as Port News and The Maritimes.

You have access to a wide range of other services – sickness and death benefits, holiday homes and union negotiated superannuation for your retirement.

Being part of a real union is about dignity at work, about being able to stand up and be independent and about standing together with your mates.

It’s about collective strength and being part of something bigger than your own workplace.

It’s a matter of pride and solidarity.

You know that, which is why you are a member of MUNZ.

saveourport.com

For secure jobs and public ownership

Building a progressive culture Editorial by Victor Billot

One of the unfortunate side effects of the decline in union membership over the last 25 years is the decline in working class culture and education.

There is a decline in the “institutional knowledge” of workers who have spent a life time in their industry. There is a decline in critical thinking.

There is a decline in knowledge of our history, our struggles and understanding of the social and economic processes going on in the world.

While dedicated people are working hard to change this situation, it would be hard to say the good guys are winning.

This situation is especially serious given that young people coming through into their working lives have had no contact with union ideas, or a socialist or collective viewpoint.

They aren’t pro union and they aren’t anti union. They simply have no opinion because they have never been told.

A generation ago New Zealand had compulsory unionism.

Now it has compulsory uninformedism.

This is not saying that the fault lies with young people, far from it. There are still plenty of young people who are engaged but many of them do so through informal or alternative politics.

The Occupy Movement or the “99%” is one recent example. It had pick up but it lacked staying power or organisation.

The Maritime industry is one of the few “traditional” industries where a strong working class union culture has held on.

We have our magazines, regular branch meetings, social events, the Interport tournament, a Facebook page filled with comments from members, political activism and so forth.

The value of this culture is immense but as others have found out, once it is lost, it is very hard to rebuild.

The political transformation of New Zealand has also had a negative effect. Right wing ideas dominate public discourse.

The media is dominated by mindless commercialism.

Virulently reactionary talkback hosts dominate the debate on the radio. Social media has provided an outlet for a multitude of new voices, but it has also given a platform for the darker side of human psychology and politics.

In the comment sections of blogs and websites, on Facebook, and on talkback radio, the common tone of debate is vicious and openly racist and sexist.

Beneficiaries are described as sub human. Unions get a bashing too, especially when we are engaged in defending our rights as workers.

Interestingly enough, many of the people who engage in this type of thing are working class themselves. Like the so-called “Tea Party” in the USA or the old Kiwi term of the “two bob Tory”, there is a substantial number of working class people who act politically against their own interests.

The historical struggles of maritime workers should indicate that we should have some understanding and sympathy for others who are engaged in thankless and bitter battles to obtain justice and a fair hearing.

There should always be healthy debate and a range of opinions in a democratic, mass organisation like the Maritime Union.

However there can be no room for prejudice or reactionary politics. A fighting, militant union has to have at its core principles which extend beyond our own industry to the wider causes of society.

Recently we’ve rolled out a new delegate training programme, which is great news.

We’ve signed up to the campaign against family violence.

We continue to back labour struggles, progressive causes and political action at home and internationally.

This isn’t a one way street. The support of the international for our struggle at the Ports of Auckland has been immense.

Many of our members are involved in their union and their community in an active way.

They take part, sometimes in a visible way, sometimes in a more personal way, contributing their time, money and effort.

An active, informed and engaged membership is the basis for a rank and file driven, democratic union and workers’ movement.

www.munz.org.nz

In this issue

EDITORIAL

Ports of Auckland dispute update page 6

Health and safety incidents at Port of Tauranga page 12

Offshore industry in spotlight page 11

Branch and local reports page 16

The Maritimes Magazine

Contact the Maritime Union

Published quarterly by the Maritime Union of New Zealand. Authorized by Joe Fleetwood, 220 Willis Street, Wellington.

ISSN 1176-3418

National Office Telephone: 04 3850 792 Fax: 04 3848 766 Address: PO Box 27004, Wellington 6141 Office administrator: Ramesh Pathmanathan Email: ramesh@munz.org.nz

Editor: Victor Billot Mobile: 021 482219 Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz Mail: PO Box 8135, Dunedin 9041, New Zealand Editorial Board: Joe Fleetwood, Garry Parsloe, Ray Fife and Carl Findlay Deadline for Summer 2012/2013 edition: 1 December 2012 Cover photo Ports of Auckland straddles by Simon Oosterman Thanks to our photographers for this edition Simon Oosterman, Robert Gallagher, Harry Holland, Alf Boyle, Dave Phillips, Terry Ryan, Alan Windsor, Peter Torrance and others Website: www.munz.org.nz Photos: www.flickr.com/maritimeunion Video: www.youtube.com/maritimeunionnz Facebook: www.facebook.com/maritimeunion Twitter: www.twitter.com/maritimeunion

General Secretary: Joe Fleetwood Direct dial: 04 8017614 Mobile: 021 364649 Email: joe.fleetwood@munz.org.nz National President: Garry Parsloe Direct dial: 09 3034652 Mobile: 021 326261 Email: garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz National Vice President: Carl Findlay Direct dial: 09 3034652 Mobile: 021 760887 Email: carl.findlay@munz.org.nz Assistant General Secretary: Ray Fife Direct dial: 03 2128189 Mobile: 0274 475317 Email: ray.fife@munz.org.nz ITF Inspector: Grahame MacLaren Direct dial: 04 8017613 Mobile: 021 2921782 Email: mclaren_grahame@itf.org.uk Communications Officer: Victor Billot Mobile: 021 482219 Address: PO Box 8135, Dunedin Email: victor.billot@munz.org.nz

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 3

Organizing for our future

By Joe Fleetwood General Secretary

Conference 2012

The Fourth Triennial Conference of the Maritime Union of New Zealand will be held in Wellington from 6–9 November.

It’s been a massive three years for our Union.

We’ve faced the biggest industrial dispute in recent New Zealand history, but there have been many other areas where MUNZ has been in the thick of it.

This conference will set the path forward for our Union with a comprehensive review of our rules being completed, and a sector organizing plan which will make our Union more proactive and forward looking.

The proceedings will feature many international guest speakers and some great discussion around the remits received from branches and locals.

The national Triennial Conference is the major decision making body in our democratic Union.

We look forward to good delegations from all branches and locals, including younger members who will benefit from the experience.

Union elections

The national Maritime Union elections for national officials have just been completed.

National returning officer John Whiting declared all four current serving officials had been re-elected unopposed as no other nominations were received by the closing date.

Ports of Auckland

The ongoing dispute at Ports of Auckland has been enormously frustrating for our members at Local 13.

They have continued to hold fast despite the pressure they have been placed under by their employer.

The Maritime Union continues to work for a solution to protect secure jobs and conditions.

We have been strongly supported by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation throughout the dispute.

Questions have been raised at the actions of port management and board of directors, and ACIL, the company that owns the port on behalf of the City of Auckland.

The attitude of these individuals is disturbing. What their agenda is is hard to say, but it seems to involve undermining workers’ terms and conditions of employment.

4 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

They seem to have no concept of public service or democratic accountability.

Whose interests they serve is hard to determine when individuals such as ACIL CEO Gary Swift emailed POAL senior staff complaining about “political interference” from the elected councillors.

We hope to see more political interference in the operations of public assets, to ensure secure jobs and public ownership – and accountability for the millions of dollars that have been wasted in the pursuit of casualization and contracting out.

These assets belong to the people of New Zealand. It’s time we reminded the would be corporate warriors whom they answer to.

Maritime Round Table

The ITF recently brought together global dockers and seafarers in Casablanca, Morocco, for the first Maritime Roundtable. This event intends to boost the international links between workers in our industries and counter the globalisation of maritime and transport corporates.

More information on the new website, dockers-seafarers.org

MUA Port Botany

The Maritime Union of Australia has a major fight on their hands in Port Botany.

Management have sprung a secret plan to automate parts of the ports operations following the conclusion of lengthy negotiations.

This devious action has met with international opposition.

Automation is being used to undermine jobs and unless the process is done through negotiation with the workforce then we will continue to see a concentration of wealth and power amongst a small class of economic parasites while working people are displaced and see no benefits from technological advances.

MUNZ is offering full support to our friends and comrades of the MUA especially in light of the great and continual support they gave us in the Ports of Auckland dispute.

In addition, the fishing industry’s use of foreign charter vessels has also gone through a major shakeup, vindicating the stance we have taken for many years on this abhorrent exploitation of workers.

The screening of a documentary by Guye Henderson on TV3 has shown in graphic detail what has been going on in the fishing industry.

The entire debacle has been allowed to develop over many years and has left a stain on New Zealand’s reputation.

Port of Timaru

Regional ports continue to come under major pressure.

The Timaru container terminal was left high and dry recently when Maersk pulled its remaining service.

The Maritime Union has in the past played an active role in promoting the role of regional ports such as Timaru, including convening a public meeting and drawing together local stakeholders for a meeting with the then Minister of Transport, following the withdrawal of Fonterra from the port.

The lack of a national ports and shipping plan is badly damaging the regions and the “heartland” the National Government claims to represent.

The self-interest of global and large scale New Zealand capital are being allowed to trample the wellbeing of regional communities.

This will continue to occur until political and economic changes are made on both the local and national level.

Presumably the people of Timaru will be reconsidering their support for their local Nationalist MP whose Government has badly let down this community.

White Ribbon

MUNZ is looking to endorse the White Ribbon campaign to end family violence.

This major international campaign has been strongly supported by the MUA in Australia.

We aim to formalize this support at our National Conference.

Shipping and FCVs

Our members have been working on support vessels during the ongoing salvage of the Rena.

MUNZ has raised the issue of flag of convenience shipping and the deregulated practices which contributed to this disaster.

www.munz.org.nz

Maritime Union re-elects all national officials unopposed All four national officials of the Maritime Union of New Zealand have been reelected unopposed.

Current office holders General Secretary Joe Fleetwood (Wellington), National President Garry Parsloe (Auckland), Assistant General Secretary Ray Fife (Bluff) and National Vice President Carl Findlay (Auckland) were all returned unopposed.

Maritime Union National Returning Officer John Whiting declared all four elected following the close of nominations today Friday 12 October at 10am.

The Maritime Union has a highly democratic structure with all national officials elected directly from the membership, by a vote of all financial members of the Union.

Elections for all positions are held three yearly.

General Secretary Joe Fleetwood

National President Garry Parsloe

Assistant General Secretary Ray Fife

National Vice President Carl Findlay

Branch and local contacts Whangarei Mobile: 021 855121 Fax: 09 459 4972 Address: PO Box 397, Whangarei Email: ben.hathaway@munz.org.nz

Auckland Local 13 Phone: 09 3034 652 Fax: 09 3096 851 Mobile: 021 326 261 (President Garry Parsloe)

021 760 886 (Secretary Russell Mayn)

021 670002 (Walking Delegate D. Phillipps) Address: PO Box 1840, Shortland Street,

Auckland 1140 Email: garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

russell.mayn@munz.org.nz

dave.phillips@munz.org.nz

Mount Maunganui Phone: 07 5755 668 Fax: 07 5759 043 Mobile: 0274 782308 Address: PO Box 5121, Mt. Maunganui Email: selwyn.russell@munz.org.nz

www.munz.org.nz

Gisborne Local 38 Mobile: 025 6499697 Address: 5 Murphy Road, Gisborne Email: dein.ferris@munz.org.nz New Plymouth Mobile: 027 4680050 Address: PO Box 6084, New Plymouth Email: npmunz@yahoo.com Napier Phone/Fax: 06 8358 622 Mobile: 027 6175441 Address: PO Box 70, Napier Email: bill.connelly@munz.org.nz Wellington Phone:

Fax: Mobile:

Address: Email:

04 3859 288 (Secretary Mike Clark) 04 8017 619 (Asst. Secretary John Whiting) 04 3848 766 0274 538222 (Secretary Mike Clark) 021 606379 (Asst. Secretary John Whiting) PO Box 27004, Wellington mike.clark@munz.org.nz john.whiting@munz.org.nz

Nelson Fax: Mobile: Address: Email:

03 5472104 027 6222691 PO Box 5016, Nelson ken.knox@munz.org.nz

Lyttelton Local 43 Phone: 03 3288 306 Fax: 03 3288 798 Address: PO Box 29, Lyttelton

Timaru Phone/Fax: 03 6843 364 Mobile: 021 2991091 Address: PO Box 813, Timaru Email: tony.townshend@munz.org.nz

Port Chalmers Dunedin Local 10 Phone: 03 4728 052 Fax: 03 4727 492 Mobile: 0274 377601 Address: PO Box 44, Port Chalmers Email: phil.adams@munz.org.nz Bluff Phone/Fax: 03 2128 189 Mobile: 027 4475317 Address: PO Box 5, Bluff Email: ray.fife@munz.org.nz The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 5

Political representatives supporting Local 13: from left, Labour Party MPs Shane Jones, Jacinda Ardern, and Darien Fenton, Auckland City Councillor Cathy Casey, MUNZ National President Garry Parsloe and Green Party MP Denise Roche

Ports of Auckland update Collective agreement The MUNZ–POAL Collective Agreement expired on 30 September 2012.

It is not the end of the world that the agreement expires.

The conditions of employment will continue as an individual agreement based on the expired Collective.

A small group of workers with membership of a new organization called “Portpro” have ratified a collective agreement with POAL. We are not concerned about this document. Already with the expiry of our Collective Agreement POAL was able to offer terms to new employees that were different from ours.

The Facilitation process is continuing and following a visit by a Health and Safety expert we have 3 days of Facilitation set down for mid October.

We are confident that we will be able to enter into a Collective Agreement.

Once our Collective Agreement is settled it will need to be offered to new employees as the MUNZ Collective will cover the largest group of employees.

Those who have chosen the Portpro Collective will not be able to come on to the MUNZ Collective.

MUNZ has challenged the Portpro registration in the Employment Relations Authority and will keep you advised as to how that case develops.

6 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

Making POAL accountable

MUNZ is continuing with our efforts to ensure the public and our political representatives are aware that the dispute is ongoing and that it does not need to be.

The costs of this dispute and the delays in settling a collective agreement are unnecessary.

The Council Controlled Organisation – Auckland Council Investments Ltd (ACIL) – who own the POAL on our behalf while saying they can’t be responsible for monitoring the costs of the dispute have been shown to be working with the POAL to keep our elected representatives from asking questions.

We met with Mayor Len Brown on 3 October to brief him and to ensure that he is aware of our concerns and how there is a settlement to be had in this long standing dispute.

A settlement that provides for a fair collective agreement that protects our right to security while being flexible and achieving a good outcome for our owners – the people of Auckland.

There are also a number of Councillors who are very concerned about our dispute and who are doing their best to demand information and to push for a fair settlement.

New bill aims for port transparency A new private members bill that would increase the transparency and accountability of publicly owned New Zealand ports is being supported by the Maritime Union.

Labour MP Darien Fenton has put forward the Local Government (Council-Controlled Organisations) Amendment Bill which saw fierce debate in Parliament in September.

The bill would change the law to bring publicly owned ports into line with other public assets.

Official information laws that allow the public to request information about the operations of those businesses – but ports are excluded.

This situation has been seen in the Ports of Auckland dispute, where the amount of money being spent by the port company on attacking workers’ conditions has been kept under wraps.

Ms Fenton says while the ACIL Statement of Intent makes it clear they are “accountable for the prudent governance and management” of the investments they hold on behalf of the Auckland Council, there is no ability for the public who actually own the Port to test that accountability.

“Every Port in New Zealand is either fully or partially publicly owned, but a gap in the current legislation excludes Ports from being accountable under the Official Information Act. That means valid questions about the performance of Ports Boards do not have to be answered.”

The Maritime Union has asked Auckland Council request accountability for the actions of Ports of Auckland Limited management and the costs incurred to the people of Auckland in the long running dispute.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the Union congratulates Ms Fenton on the bill, which would also require ports to act as a good employer, and show social and environmental responsibility in their communities.

www.munz.org.nz

POAL dispute Ports of updates Auckland “crisis in accountability” Facilitation

The Maritime Union says there is a crisis in accountability with Auckland assets such as Ports of Auckland, following a heated meeting between Auckland city councillors and the chief executive in charge of the Council’s business arm.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National President Garry Parsloe says Auckland City Investments Limited (ACIL) CEO Gary Swift was effectively burying information about the Ports of Auckland dispute and giving Auckland councillors the brush off.

Labour MP Darien Fenton has joined with Auckland councillors in expressing her serious concern that Auckland ratepayers are not being given the full facts about the amount of public money spent by Council companies during the Ports of Auckland dispute on consultants, advertising, public relations and similar payouts.

Several Auckland councillors yesterday expressed their serious concern and were openly critical about the situation to Mr Swift at a meeting of Auckland Council’s Performance and Accountability Committee.

Councillor Cathy Casey is now seeking information from ACIL with an official information request under LGOMIA. Despite direct involvement in the dispute, revealed in an email to POAL communications staff, Mr Swift told councillors at the 13 September 2012 meeting he did not have any knowledge of the costs of the dispute and such knowledge was inappropriate at a governance level.

Mr Parsloe says Mr Swift can’t be involved in the dispute when he feels like it, and then not involved the next day.

He says the Ports of Auckland was not the property of the POAL management or board, or the ACIL management or board, but the property of Aucklanders.

“These managers and board members are responsible and accountable to the owners – the people of Auckland – through their elected representatives, who have a right to straight answers and some basic respect.”

While the ACIL Statement of Intent specifically makes it clear they are “accountable for the prudent governance and management” of the investments they hold on behalf of the Auckland Council, there appears to be no mechanism to test that accountability in a crisis situation. www.munz.org.nz

We are expecting a decision from the Facilitator shortly to issue a statement setting out details of where matters are at with the facilitation.

There are now a number of areas being progressed in Facilitation, with meetings on the 15, 17 and 19 of October.

Yard Foreman

The Employment Relations Authority heard the union application in relation to the Yard Foreman on Friday 21 September 2012.

The union argued that doing away with the Yard Foreman position was unlawful as it undermined the bargaining for a Collective Agreement.

The Employment Relations Authority Member who heard the matter told us at the hearing that he would have his decision out in the week of 1 October 2012.

The company agreed not to implement its decision until after the Employment Relations Authority decision comes out.

The union was pleased with the hearing, and will keep members advised as to the outcome.

P32s

The Employment Court has set down our challenge to the employment of P32s for a hearing on 3, 4 and 5 December 2012.

Casuals

We had another meeting of our Union casuals on 26 September. We have started to find ways of assisting them during the current period where they are struggling to get enough work.

We will continue keeping a close eye on their situation to make sure they are not being treated unfairly.

Teal Park

Local 13 have started running events for members and supporters to get together at Teal Park outside the Port.

The first two of these were held on Friday 5 October and Friday 12 October, from 2pm–3.30pm to cover shift change at the port.

Members were joined by supporters including a number of MPs and Auckland councillors at the events which may continue once the current facilitation meetings are concluded.

NZ breakthrough in quest to end methyl bromide fumigation University of Canterbury researchers have made a breakthrough in treating export logs by heating them using high voltage electricity.

Timber exports are a major contributor to New Zealand’s export earnings.

The Ministry of Primary Industries said more than 12.8 million cubic metres of logs with a value of nearly NZ$1.7 billion were exported through New Zealand’s ports last year.

The majority of exports (NZ$1 billion) went to China.

Export logs are usually fumigated to rid the timber of pests, such as insects and fungi which could pose a biosecurity threat.

“Methyl bromide has been the most common fumigation used but there has been a global drive to reduce, or preferably eliminate, its use,” UC’s Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) Director Dr Allan Miller says.

“Methyl bromide plays a role in ozone depletion and there are also concerns about potential health effects linked to its use.”

Researchers applied high voltage electricity between the ends of logs in tests, causing rapid heating of the log.

A minimum core temperature had to be maintained for a minimum period to achieve eradication of pests.

“Heat treatment is accepted as a quarantine treatment for logs and timber being shipped to the USA and many other countries, but this is usually performed by dry heating in a kiln or heating with steam rather than heating directly with electricity,” Dr Miller says.

During electric heating, care must be taken to avoid damage to the timber by overheating. This technology contains current monitoring and control to mitigate this.

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 7

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood addresses the ILWU Convention, June 2012

International Longshore and Warehouse Union Convention

By Garry Parsloe National President On 4 June 2012 General Secretary Joe Fleetwood and I attended the 35th Convention of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in San Diego, California.

After the national anthems of the United States of America, Canada and Panama, ILWU International Secretary-Treasurer William E. Adams introduced ILWU International President Robert McEllrath.

In his opening speech Bob touched on all the disputes that the ILWU has been involved in the last three years.

It was great to hear his report on the Ports of Auckland dispute and speak on the support from the ILWU in our struggle.

Delegates then went into remit committees.

Day two Tuesday 5 June opened with a minutes silence for all those killed on the docks on the West Coast of America (twenty deaths).

The first speaker was ITF International President Paddy Crumlin. P Paddy spoke about the legacy of ILWU founder Harry Bridges before addressing the attack on workers all over the world by evil employers and Governments that do nothing to protect workers’ rights.

Paddy went on to expand on the war against workers especially in the area of Health and Safety.

Paddy spent time speaking about our dispute with the Ports of Auckland and on all the support that those workers on the Docks in Auckland received from the ILWU. 8 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

Paddy stated that there will never be another Liverpool at the Ports of Auckland.

After Paddy’s speech the ILWU presented Tom Defresne, the retiring President from ILWU Canada, with a retirement gift to acknowledge his commitment to the ILWU over his years in office.

The next speaker was the incoming Canadian ILWU President Mark Gordienko. He spoke about Tom’s commitment to the ILWU whilst in office.

Next we had presentations from the executive of the Panama Branch of the ILWU. They expanded on their problems in Panama with all the attacks on their conditions of employment.

The rest of the day was to discuss then ratify the remits to the convention.

Day three opened with an address from President of the ILA, Harold Daggett.

In North America the ILA represent waterfront workers on the East Coast and Great Lakes, and the ILWU waterfront workers on the West Coast.

Harold spoke on the unity between the ILWU and the ILA. He went on to talk about how automation is removing Dockers from the Docks all over the world and Dockers’ Unions must resist automation on all Waterfronts unless there is guarantees to retain a Dockers’ presence on the Wharf covering all sections of work.

The next speaker was the President of the All Japan Dockers’ Union. He spoke on the strong bond between his Union and the ILWU. He went on to report on the Japan Tsunami disaster.

The rest of day three was taken up in remit committees.

Day four opened with speeches.

The first speaker was the Secretary of the RMT in the UK, Bob Crow. He spoke on workers’ rights and all the attacks on workers and their Unions.

The next speaker was MUNZ General Secretary Joe Fleetwood. Joe spoke on all the support that the ILWU gave MUNZ in their dispute with the Ports of Auckland.

Joe spoke on all the industrial/ international action and how that has contributed to how we will settle this dispute in our favour.

Next speaker was ITF Dockers’ Secretary Steve Cotton.

Steve in his speech gave the absolute commitment from the ITF for our struggle on the Auckland Waterfront.

Next speaker was the President of the ILWU Veterans.

He spoke on all the support that the Veterans give to the ILWU in return for all the good work that the ILWU do for all the members.

The rest of the day was debating then addressing the remits that had come back from the committees.

On day five the morning session opened up with nominations for the National Officers of the ILWU. After nominations closed the four National Officers were declared elected unopposed.

After the four National Officers were elected the conference nominated the executive at large.

Before this section of the conference closed there were presentations of recognition for long term serving staff. www.munz.org.nz

On Monday 11 June 2012 the convention opened up to the Longshore Caucus Section.

After obituaries and nominations for Chairman, the caucus welcomed Joe Fleetwood and I to the caucus.

Bob McEllrath opened the meeting proper by addressing some of the major disputes that the ILWU is involved with at present.

The morning session reports were given on disputes, work coverage and agreement negotiations.

ILWU International Vice President Ray Familathe expanded on issues before the courts, workers compensation issues and other matters being dealt with by the Coast Committee.

Robert McEllrath then reported again on the Ports of Auckland dispute, he expanded on our dispute in regard to our legal challenges and on activity taken on the West Coast of America by the ILWU Locals in support of our dispute.

After morning smoko we had reports from Health and Safety delegates from all the Longshore Locals.

On Tuesday 12 June the morning resumed with the Health and Safety reports.

Most of the reports were about Reefers and how the ILWU were seeking information under the National Labour Relations Act so as to monitor compliance with safety practices and procedures.

They are seeking all information and documents associated with Reefers deemed “at risk” due to potential of contaminated refrigerant.

We next had a report from the Pension and Welfare committee. Speakers spoke on all the benefits that the pension provides for its retirees/veterans.

At this stage of the caucus I was called to the rostrum to give a report on the Ports of Auckland.

I gave a full report by going back and in-depth into what caused the dispute, all the actions and decisions and an extended report on where we are at this time in the dispute.

At the end of my speech the ILWU presented me with a cheque for $50,000 towards the costs of our dispute with the Ports of Auckland.

On Wednesday 13 June the opening session was headed “ILWU Clerks Technology Committee Report”.

The New Containers come in the same standard sizes and are constructed of Carbon Fibre. They are foldable and stackable, and Carbon Fibre is five times stronger than steel and weighs 17% less for the same volume.

Average container weight becomes 1,871lbs for an empty TEU. Foldable/stackable combines equipment into 10+ per move.

At this point of caucus Joe and I had to leave.

As usual the ILWU has delivered a positive convention and caucus. www.munz.org.nz

Dairy Workers Conference

By Garry Parsloe, National President On 21 June 2012 the National Vice President Carl Findlay and I attended the Dairy Workers’ Union Conference in Rotorua.

Both Carl and I addressed the conference, giving an in depth report on our dispute with the Ports of Auckland.

After us the Meat Workers Union delegates gave reports on their dispute with Talleys/ AFFCO. Both the reports were received by acclamation.

The speeches were followed by a period of questions and answers.

Carl and I stayed on to listen to the other agenda items before the conference was closed for the day.

The conference was positive and productive.

A delegation from the Sichuan Chinese Federation of Trade Unions met recently with MUNZ officials at Local 13

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 9

MUNZ supports ILWU in struggle

By Garry Parsloe National President On 28 June June 2012 Assistant General Secretary Ray Fife and I went to Longview, Washington to stand alongside and support Robert McEllrath, International President of the ILWU. Bob was attending court to defend charges against him arising out of protesting another union doing Dockers’ work on the Longview Wharf.

There was support for Bob from unions all around the world.

In the morning we stood outside the court with all the other supporters who along with the MUNZ delegation had brought their union flags.

In the afternoon we went to the Longview union rooms where all the international unions gave speeches of solidarity and support for Big Bob and the ILWU Dockers.

On Saturday 29 June Ray and I attended the court hearing where after a full day and into the night at 11pm the Judge dismissed the jury because they were unable to agree on a verdict.

There will now be a meeting of the parties to determine whether to pursue the issue and have another trial or have charges set aside.

“1998 all over again” at Patrick’s Port Botany Patrick's management has resorted to its mean and tricky ways of 1998 with today's shock announcement that it will sack more than half its Port Botany workforce in Sydney.

The company announced in July that 270 of its 511-strong Port Botany waterfront workforce will be made redundant by mid 2014 and replaced with automated technology.

MUA Deputy National Secretary, Mick Doleman said the move is ideologically motivated and will decimate the workforce, while failing to deliver any benefits for shareholders and clients.

10 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

"This is an extraordinary sleight of hand tactic by Patrick's management following a protracted 20-month wage negotiation that was only resolved recently.

"The use of Autostrad technology was never discussed in these negotiations. In fact, we were given explicit guarantees that all straddles would be fully manned.

"The technology Patrick's is introducing is unproductive and very expensive. This will not lift productivity, and will become a millstone around shareholders' necks.

"In Brisbane, where this technology is used, target box rates in the EBA are lower than elsewhere in the country.

"This proves that this move is about ideology, not productivity.”

11 shipping "near-misses" since Rena Maritime New Zealand was notified of 11 near miss shipping incidents, including four container ships and two other cargo vessels, during the period between 5 October 2011 and 26 September 2012.

The information was obtained from questions put to Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee by the Green Party.

The term "near miss" refers to any incident where a crash was avoided by luck or recovery.

"With the number of near misses since the Rena, it appears the Government is relying on luck, rather than good regulation, to keep us safe from cargo ship crashes," says Green Party transport spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

There are growing calls for stronger regulations for shipping navigation including shipping lanes.

Marico Marine senior partner John Riding told the New Zealand Herald that although the Rena disaster had been a warning, now "the big furore is over, and the ships are still coming too close to land."

He had tracked dozens of ships sailing dangerously close to the coast, and says having a better system was a "open and shut case".

The most common event was ships cutting too close when sailing to and from ports.

Mr Hughes says the Green Party "consider it is far safer if trained domestic crews who know New Zealand waters operate in them and we would investigate the best mechanism for making this happen."

www.munz.org.nz

Offshore industry in spotlight

New laws are coming in force to the New Zealand mining and hydrocarbon sectors, including some that specifically affect the offshore industry.

The changes are occurring at a time when there is major public debate about further exploration and development of New Zealand’s offshore oil and gas reserves.

The National Government is pushing for major developments in the oil and gas and mining industries.

This is motivated no doubt by the perceived potential for New Zealand to emulate the massive resources boom in Australia.

Safety and environmental concerns

Politically the offshore industry is a sensitive topic.

Offshore disasters such as the Gulf of Mexico have heightened public concerns about the safety of offshore drilling.

The rugged maritime environment in the New Zealand offshore and depth of many of the prospects are also a concern.

Recent maritime and mining disasters within New Zealand have shaken confidence in safety measures in extractive industries.

The grounding of the flag of convenience vessel Rena in the Bay of Plenty highlighted deficiencies in international shipping practices, with a slow response from authorities and lack of local resources to manage the situation.

A number of fishing vessel disasters and mishaps especially on foreign charter vessels have also led to a shakeup of the fishing industry.

The Pike River mine disaster on the West Coast in 2010 tragically showed that while New Zealand has a self-image of a developed nation with high industry standards, the reality is not so positive. www.munz.org.nz

A recent report has showed New Zealand’s health and safety record is poor compared to countries like Australia and the UK. A generation of deregulation has led to an unsafe working environment for many.

Casualization and the growth of an antiworker, “profit before people” culture have allowed some employers to cut corners and undermine conditions.

In this situation, it is important that strong measures are taken to protect both workers and environment in any offshore activities.

In 2010, the Maritime Union argued the Government needed to boost monitoring and enforcement of safety regulations.

The Government’s own review found the Department of Labour inspectorate responsible for the sector was significantly under-resourced, compared to countries such as Australia, the UK and Norway.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the offshore industry is a high risk industry, which is a major part of the New Zealand economy and will become a bigger part.

Those risks could only be dealt with in an industry where workers were empowered and organised.

The Union also supported an investigation into the industry to see why oil and gas producers such as Norway (a similar size to New Zealand) and Venezuela had substantial state ownership and control of their industry, leading to massive returns to the people of those countries.

The New Zealand industry is dominated by overseas operators and private interests.

Another possibility would be setting aside some of the income from oil and gas resources to fund the development of environmentally low impact transport solutions such as coastal shipping, and energy generation schemes for a post-oil economy.

New legislation

The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 is a new law for managing the environmental impact of offshore activities.

It covers the exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelf, which lie outside the 12 nautical miles of territorial waters from the coastline.

It passed on 3 September 2012 and will come into effect when detailed regulations are finalised (probably 2013.)

Under the new law a consent from an Enviromental Protection Agency will be required to carry out certain offshore activities.

Offshore industry

The offshore industry is already a big earner, even though current oil and gas production is confined to Taranaki basin.

Crude oil is New Zealand’s fourth largest export by value.

Government estimates South Island oil and gas field development could be worth $557 million and $3.2 billion (MOBIE estimate 2012).

The permit allocation for offshore oil gas and minerals is under review and the Government reviewing the royalty from mining activities (not oil and gas).

A High Hazards Unit established within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (formerly Department of Labour) covering health and safety in oil and gas, and mining industries.

The Health and Safety in Employment (Petroleum Exploration and Extraction) Regulations 1999 is also being reviewed, along with insurance and liability requirements for the offshore petroleum industry.

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 11

Temporary staff create stress on Tauranga wharf

By Teuila Fuatai Wharf workers are struggling to cope with temporary employees who may not be up to speed with operational procedures, a Maritime Union representative says.

“You’ve got to train them up and it’s really difficult,” Mount Maunganui Tauranga branch secretary Selwyn Russell said.

“The sheer workload already contributes to high dangers ... and then you’ve got casuals running around on the floors who do not know the standard operating practices.”

Mr Russell said the inherent dangers of working at the Port were highlighted by the death of a contract worker in August last year.

Father of five, Walter Daniel Crosa, 49, of Welcome Bay was killed on August 15, 2011 after he was hit by a reversing grader while doing tarsealing work as part of the Port expansion at Sulphur Point.

Mr Russell said when there were already heavy workload pressures on permanent staff the stress and inherent dangers were elevated when shift workers with limited knowledge of the standard operating practices came into their working area.

Sara Lunam, corporate services manager at Port of Tauranga, said the port did not directly employ users of the port.

However, every month a Port Users Health and Safety Forum is held to enable workers, including stevedores, marshallers, operators, and their union representatives, and employers to talk about any of their concerns.

Ms Lunam said as far as she was aware this is the first time this concern had been raised publicly.

12 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

She said she was surprised as there are a number of levels of induction training for any users of the port, and that includes a requirement for all employers to undergo induction on the health and safety rules.

The union’s concerns follow the release of results of a global survey which reveal people’s stress levels have grown in the past year, with many citing their job as a key pressure point.

Mr Russell said union members were already feeling the pressure with limited work availability, and call-in workers were only adding to their stresses.

“Worrying about whether the person next to them knows what they’re doing ... is not helping.”

Most New Zealand workers who took part in the 16,000-participant survey (by international company Regus) identified customers as being their main source of stress.

Though professional pressures and money worries are a prime cause of stress, onein-five of those surveyed blamed their “spouse” or “children”.

Nearly 40 per cent of New Zealand respondents said their job was the biggest cause of stress in their lives.

More than half of the participants nominated personal finances for the top spot and 54 per cent said dealing with customers caused them the most stress.

Dr Helena Cooper-Thomas, of the University of Auckland School of Psychology, said a worker’s performance was often linked to stress and workload.

“If you’ve got a pressing deadline and you think, ‘Oh, my manager is really pushing me’ ... and it feels like you’re under pressure,’ then it will be quite stressful ... and harder to get to,” she said.

But, if a manager fostered a culture where workers felt challenged and supported under such deadlines - rather than being pressured and stressed - people were likely to cope much better.

“It’s about how people interpret work demands ... which can make it less stressful.”

Dr Cooper-Thomas said a heavy workload could also lead to increased worker absenteeism and falling productivity.

“Sick-leave research is really variable. We do know that if people are dissatisfied and not involved with their work, there will be more absenteeism,” she said.

“An unreasonable workload may also result in people not coming into work.”

However, signing up to flexible working conditions would not necessarily provide an instant cure, Dr Cooper-Thomas warned.

Working to hours which suited workers better than the standard nine-to-five could help, but workers needed to ensure strict boundaries were imposed.

“If you’re expected to be continually available, than it’s not going to be the best thing for someone.”

This article is reproduced with the kind permission of the Bay of Plenty Times where it was published on 25 September 2012.

www.munz.org.nz

String of serious injuries and incidents at Port of Tauranga A horrifying injury has added to a growing list of workers who have been killed or maimed while working on the Tauranga waterfront.

A fumigation worker had his foot cut off on Wednesday 10 October after his leg became caught in a winch system that pulls covers over rows of logs.

The 41-year-old Tauranga man had been working as a subcontractor for Genera, a fumigation company.

In two further incidents on the same day at the Port of Tauranga, two cargo lids slid off the Agata M heavy load carrier and on to the wharf just hours after the injury of the fumigation worker.

The Bay of Plenty Times reported a Maritime New Zealand spokesperson had confirmed inquiries were being underway.

“As the ship crane lifted a load clear of the ship’s hatch and began to rotate towards the wharf, the ship began to list towards the port [left] side,” he said.

“The listing of the ship caused the cargo hatch covers to slide off the ship and on to the wharf.

“The crane operator lowered the cargo to the wharf and slowly took the weight off the crane to allow the ship to regain its equilibrium.”

In September, a crane malfunction caused a 27-tonne container of avocados to fall seven metres on to a ship loading at the Sulphur Point container terminal.

A second incident in September saw a supporting beam-stay break off at one end and hang as the crane finished loading a container onto a ship.

Nobody was injured in either of those incidents.

There have been several fatalities and injuries at the Port of Tauranga over the last several years.

Walter Daniel Crosa, father of five, died August 15, 2011 after a grader struck him while he was tarsealing at the port.

Two men were burned while carrying out a routine inspection on a ship in the port in March 2011.

A ship worker fell into the hold of a logging ship and became trapped on December 29, 2010. Firefighters were called to rescue the man, who was not seriously injured.

On December 17, 2010 a 35-year-old Chinese seaman died after falling from the side of the logging ship Green Hope into Tauranga Harbour.

Brian Kevin Shannon, 61, of Otumoetai, died from severe head and chest injuries after a forklift carrying a heavy load struck him on June 21, 2010.

News of the latest incidents came as the Port of Tauranga was announced as a finalist in an “international port operator of the year award” run by shipping industry publication Lloyd’s List.

Maritime Union Mount Maunganui Tauranga Branch secretary Selwyn Russell told the Bay of Plenty Times there should be a safety inspector employed to be present on the port at all times and oversee the operations of all employees, contractors and independent operators.

Mr Russell said the safety standards were in place but needed to be monitored more carefully.

“We need an inspector on the wharf. We need people out there to keep a vigil on things that happen on the wharf,” he said.

MUNZ Training underway A new training programme has been set up by the Maritime Union for delegate education.

Local 13 executive member and Ports of Auckland watersider Craig Harrison is our part time trainer who will deliver courses as required.

Craig brings a long experience of the industry to the job and has already successfully run the first training course in Auckland in September.

www.munz.org.nz

The basic delegate training course is a one day course that gives an overview of all the topics an informed delegate needs to have a handle on – the basics of union organisation, employment law, health and safety issues, the role of the delegate, collective agreements, strikes and lockouts, union achievements, problem solving, recruitment, union history and the ITF. The plan is to expand on the initial basic delegate's course to more advanced levels and specialist topics.

Craig will travel to any branch and deliver the course, and will give an update on training at our November conference.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood laid the wreath on the right on behalf of the Union in memory of merchant seamen at the Wellington commemoration on 3 September 2012

Merchant Navy Day The Merchant Navy Day observed on 3 September commemorates merchant seamen and their contribution especially during times of war.

Veterans and maritime workers joined in remembrance throughout New Zealand and other Commonwealth nations.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says that merchant seamen continue to serve in a potentially dangerous industry that a maritime trading nation like New Zealand depends on.

In 2010 the New Zealand Government announced that they would join Britain and other Commonwealth countries to commemorate those who served in the Merchant Navy in the Second World War. The date chosen (3 September) marks the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after the war was declared.

During the Second World War, 4,700 Allied merchant vessels were sunk and 30,000 Allied merchant seamen lost their lives.

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 13

Class solidarity: the bigger picture Nowhere among blue-collar unions has the phrase ‘An injury to one is an injury to all’ been more apt when applied to the New Zealand Seamen’s Union and its successor the New Zealand Seafarers’ Union.

The union has a record second to none in broader assistance in other trade union struggles with employers and/or the state, whether it be through financial assistance or standing alongside on demonstrations and picket lines.

This class solidarity is deeply rooted historically in seafarers’ own tough living and working conditions and their ‘class consciousness’, reflected in the fact that the officers and engineers they work alongside have always enjoyed higher pay, better conditions of work and superior shipboard accommodation.

Trans-union solidarity has been nonnegotiable, an integral, long-accepted and treasured component of the union’s modus operandi.

For many years the union maintained a ‘fighting fund’ for this purpose.

Between May 1914 and March 1916, to take one such example, the union gifted money from existing funds or by imposing levies on members to the Auckland Coal and Cargo Workers’ Union (12 May 1914), Wellington Storemen’s Union (2 June 7914), Maitland Miners’ Union of Australia (2 October 1914), Huntly Miners’ Union (22 October 1914), Rural Workers’ Union (14 April 1915), Barrier Miners’ Strike, Australia (15 March 1916), Petone Woollen Mills Workers’ Union (28 March 1916), Broken Hill Coal Miners’ Union, Australia (4 April 1916) and the Petone Slaughtermen’s Union (11 April 1916).

It also donated money to the United Labour Party, Social Democratic Party, Labour representation committees, the Workers’ Educational Association, Wellington and Auckland Hospital Christmas Funds, St Vincent de Paul Society (president Tom Young was a committed Catholic) and New Zealand Variety Entertainers.

14 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

In more recent decades the union participated in Wellington Trades Council stoppages in support of FOL/Combined State Unions claims for repeal of the iniquitous Remuneration Act (June 1980) and an immediate cost-of-living wage increase and minimum living wage.

The following year seamen participated in protests supporting freezing workers and engineers who were being arrested and jailed under the pernicious Police Offences Act while on strike at Ravensdown and Auckland Airport respectively.

In January 1981 local seafarers raised $2338.90 to support striking British seamen from the tanker British Security in a dispute between the National Union of Seamen and the ship’s owners, who were refusing to further employ union labour.

The dispute lasted more than three weeks.

This was a very busy period, as seamen were also raising money and participating on picket lines in support of workers on the Huntly Power Project, Napier storemen and Wellington meat packers.

At the time NZSU President Dave Morgan argued that seamen, along with all New Zealand workers, needed to see their struggles as part of a working-class stand against an exploitative capitalist class trying to take control of a ‘tame’ workforce and ‘compliant’ trade union movement as it prepared to carry out policies involving a massive sellout of New Zealand’s resources to rich multinationals.

But the most dramatic expression of class solidarity during that decade indeed, arguably during any decade, involved New Zealand seamen, their union and the locked-out coalminers of Yorkshire and Durham, victims of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s closure of many coalmines throughout 1984 as part of her government’s cut-throat monetarist policies and exacerbated by the brutality of the police in dealing with the miners and their families who protested against these closures.

Prompted by graphic photographs of beaten and bloodied miners appearing in the Seamen’s Journal, the Wellington branch donated an immediate $5000 to the miners’ fund, soon followed by numerous shipboard collections.

On top of this, the union decided it should donate a container load of lamb to the miners.

Dave Morgan’s idea was to buy some cheap meat from the freezing works, which watersiders would load gratis, and the Shipping Corporation deliver to Britain for nothing.

But Morgan found that the only way he could procure a container of New Zealand meat was to buy it from the Meat Board in London for $48,000.

Moreover, he was advised not to tell the board (so as not to create a dispute with the Thatcher government) that it was for the miners.

So the message was that the meat was for a reunion of retired members in the Highlands.

The British National Union of Seamen paid for it and billed the New Zealand union.

However, to make as much political mileage out of it as he could, NUS general secretary Jim Slater let the cat out of the bag when he publicly announced when it arrived in Britain that the meat was for the ‘striking miners in their fight with that fascist Thatcher.’

Fortunately by then the cargo had been paid for, and there was nothing the Meat Board or the Thatcher government could do. Later, striking miners Kevin Hughes and Derek France, who conducted a threeweek education campaign in New Zealand (co-hosted by the Seamen’s Union), told the Seamen’s Journal that their union was hugely appreciative of the New Zealanders’ actions.

‘It was like Christmas seeing kiddies getting up on Christmas morning and getting into that sack of goodies. That was the expression that our people had on their faces at the sight of that lamb.’

There were 18,100 pounds of lamb altogether.

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New Zealand maritime workers supported UK miners in defence of their livelihoods against a vicious attack from the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher during the bitter strike of 1984/1985. In this picture, miners and police clash on a picket line at the Nantgarw Colliery in Wales.

Morgan sent a telex to the Yorkshire miners: ‘New Zealand seamen consider the miners’ strike the most important struggle of our times against international capitalist monetarist policies. Their fight is our fight. Defeat impossible. Please convey our solidarity and bon appetit to our miner comrades.’

By February 1985 New Zealand seamen, with a union strength of 1200 and falling, had donated a phenomenal $53,742.53 to the strikers and their family.

The strike had by now lasted 10 months, but collapsed the following March after much heartache, and with strike leaders jailed for up to three years.

Such beneficence has been ongoing.

Among others in recent years the union has helped timber workers in Tokoroa, goldminers in Fiji, tugboat men in Australia, unions in South Africa and union health clinics in Newtown and Porirua.

In July 2001 the union donated $5000 to 120 striking low-paid fish process workers at the Sanford’s plants in Bluff and Timaru after they had been off work for seven weeks.

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In October 2002 it donated the equivalent of £1300 to Liverpool dockers, both to assist the men in their strife and to purchase a plaque in the NZSU’s name for the wall of the dockers’ community centre established after the demise of their twoyear battle against globalisation on their docks.

Morgan told a mass rally on St George Steps in the city that the ‘dockers’ struggle was our struggle’. In 2003 the union gave $2000 to the Steven Wallace appeal in Waitara towards the Wallace family’s private appeal against the police for the shooting death of their son; $5000 to assist striking pulp and paper mill workers and their families at Kinleith; and $2000 to the Peace Movement of Aotearoa, which was active in the anti-Iraq war movement.

The above excerpt is taken with permission from Jagged Seas, the recently published history of the New Zealand Seamen’s Union, by David Grant.

Copies can be found in most reputable bookstores and can be ordered online, via the publisher http://www.cup.canterbury. ac.nz/catalogue/jagged.shtml

New Zealand seamen consider the miners’ strike the most important struggle of our times against international capitalist monetarist policies. Their fight is our fight.

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 15

Auckland Local 13

By Russell Mayn With all the recent newsletters and ‘The Wharfies’ Story’ publication on the dispute at Ports of Auckland I am not going to comment on the dispute at any length – it is very difficult at the moment anyway with the confidentiality restrictions that come with facilitated bargaining.

What is relevant is the structure of the new Auckland Super City that was forced upon Auckland ratepayers.

It is becoming clearer by the day how dysfunctional some of the structures are.

This is a not a shot at the Auckland Council as they have to make the best of what they have been handed.

Assets owned by the Auckland Council are managed and governed by ACIL (Auckland Council Investment Limited), these assets include the Ports of Auckland (100%owned), Auckland International Airport 22.4% owned) and Auckland Film Studios (100% owned).

On its website ACIL states that one of their objectives is to maximise the value of Auckland Council Investments and make significant contributions to Auckland’s current and future economic and social wellbeing.

I take it from that statement that ACIL is there to serve and look after the assets owned by the Auckland Council which in turn is the people of Auckland.

We attended the ACIL accountability meeting held at the Council Chambers last week and from the tenor of the discussion between some of the councillors and the management of ACIL you would think differently.

One of the key points that took my attention was the reply from ACIL CEO Gary Swift to a question from Councillor Casey regarding the Ports of Auckland dispute and the cost of the dispute to date.

Councillor Casey had rightly questioned ACIL on the cost of the dispute and had not received an appropriate answer, and was following up by saying that as a Councillor she had a right and an obligation to know the effect of the dispute on the return to the Council on one of its assets.

The answer from the ACIL CEO was astonishingly curt and along the lines that the Council does not own the assets, ACIL does.

This, I believe, speaks volumes on how such organisations think and act.

Clearly they believe that they do not work for the people of Auckland and are a law unto themselves.

16 | The Maritimes | Summer 2011/2012

It begs the question on what level has ACIL and its management been involved with the dispute and who and what are the real drivers.

ACIL was very quick to lecture the Councillors at the meeting on the role of ACIL in regards to the Ports of Auckland Board.

It was clearly stated that ACIL had a governance role and the cost of the dispute was something that ACIL did not need to know and therefore the Council did not need to know.

Councillor Mike Lee was quick to reply something along the lines of, “if you don’t know the cost, you can’t count it, if you can’t count it, you cannot manage, therefore how can you govern it”.

ACIL was quick to claim its separation from the Port Company Board and management apart from its governance role.

Yet when Councillor Casey read an email from Mr Swift to the Port Company which showed that contact between ACIL was in fact not at arm’s length.

This brought into question the accuracy of a number of answers provided by ACIL during the meeting.

Councillors and the Auckland public have the right to know the cost of the dispute. The cost of consultants, legal representation advertisements and so forth is relevant.

They should not be dismissed as uninteresting and no one else’s business.

In the end the money spent by the Ports of Auckland is public money and has been unnecessarily squandered on an attack on workers in the port and on the Maritime Union.

The point of all this really is to question the role of ACIL and if there is any benefit going forward of such an organisation.

We elect Councillors to govern and manage the Auckland area along with its assets.

Why have we been saddled with a body that is clearly operating as a fire wall between the Council and the Ports of Auckland management?

To put it in perspective – we smell a rat.

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Port Chalmers Dunedin

By Phil Adams Greetings from Port Chalmers. As we are into spring now the quiet times are almost over.

Weekend work in the terminal is making for some disgruntled lads as sporting and social events are being adversely affected.

Both days in the weekend we now have ships in the terminal.

Ratification of terminal agreement

On Thursday 27 September at 1400 at the Port Chalmers Town Hall a combined union meeting of around 200 members of RMTU and MUNZ met to hear the negotiating team put forward a proposal for ratification of the new collective.

After the presentation of the proposal by the negotiating team much debate took place particularly over the numbers of B Register employees or “B’s” (known elsewhere as guaranteed wage earners) in the terminal and the possibility of flooding the place with them.

This was answered firstly by history then the cost factor.

B’s are on a guarantee with fully subsidized medical scheme, holidays and superannuation.

Also for the first time we now have in the agreement what B’s can not do and we believe this will limit the numbers the company can employ.

The ratification was then put to the meeting and passed with a majority which was testament to a very good deal we got.

This was virtually a rollover with gains in some areas and the company withdrawing the 12 hour shifts they were pursuing as this was a major issue with the members.

This is an excellent result given what is happening around other ports and the job losses around the country.

The deal is for 2 years with a good percentage for each year and a one off payment for those in the collective.

This round of negotiations we had an almost new team of negotiators and the way they performed augers well for the future.

Our MUNZ team was made up of myself (Phil Adams), Ben George, Stu Crawford and Steve Smith and our executive.

We also thank the contribution of the RMTU team led by Ruth Blakeley for an outstanding effort.

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Finally as we watch the Auckland situation we feel for our brothers up there and wish them all the best as they seek a collective agreement.

What is happening in Auckland is a timely reminder that the situation up there could happen in our own port. Having now ratified our agreement we are settled for now – but we never lose sight of the fact that we need to be vigilant on and into the future.

Port Chalmers Cargo Services

PC Cargo Services are to have negotiations in November. At a recently held meeting with negotiators it was made clear that with 4 full timers having left over the last couple of years members want them replaced and not with 24/7 people.

The PC Cargo loads have been reasonably busy with logs, fish and fertiliser ships keeping them active.

New Executive

The new executive are all performing well and as we have a young executive this is a good sign for the future.

Ben George in his second year as President has adjusted to the pressures that come with the position and is performing well, as is Stu Crawford our vice president.

Their commitment cannot be questioned and they are always available for meetings even at short notice.

Arthur Morris

We recently lost a former long serving President of our branch of the Waterfront Workers’ Union, Arthur Morris.

Arthur died at the age of 94 and is remembered for his outstanding work as a leader of our Union.

As I tell new entrants into our Union, it is due to the likes of Arthur that the wages and conditions we enjoy now were gained, through their leadership.

Our condolences to his family.

Book publication

Local member James Passmore has just written a book “Hunting in New Zealand” based on his experiences which has received good reviews.

We do not know what is next for James but perhaps another book on the horizon.

Sick List

We wish a speedy recovery for the following members, Steve Tiley, Jason Dalwood, Mike Harrington, Mary Habourne and Cyril McWilliams. Cyril is recovering from a back operation and is to retire soon after 40 years in the industry.

He will be sorely missed at the Port.

Port Chalmers Fire Brigade

Today we have three members serving with the Port Chalmers Volunteer Fire Brigade – Richard Templeton, Paul Napier and Mark Chaney.

Because the terminal is in Port Chalmers just across the road, they are handy for any local fire related emergency.

If any other members wish to join, see Paul Napier. Over the years the waterfront has had a strong influence on the local fire brigade.

Donations from our branch and sporting successes

Recently our branch provided a large shed for the use of our local kindergarten.

In addition we gave a donation to assist local member Dean McBride’s daughter, Zoe, represent New Zealand at the recent World Junior Rowing Champs in Bulgaria.

Zoe performed with distinction finishing 3rd in the final of the Quadruple Sculls.

Next the Olympics we hope.

With sport in mind it was great to see local member Ryan Olsen complete 100 games in Premier Rugby with local club Harbour RFC. His father Ken, also a member, completed over 100 games when he played as well, both playing in the front row. Well done.

Timaru

With Maersk and Hamburg Sud pulling out of Timaru, Port Otago has put up a rail service between Timaru and Port Chalmers.

This includes a dedicated 3 times a day rail service delivered to Port Chalmers under the name of South Gate.

It is expected we will have more work in the terminal as a result of this and this can only be good for the future down here.

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 17

Mount Maunganui Tauranga

By Selwyn Russell Kia Ora. We have had yet another busy quarter and the year seems to be flying past.

Rena

The shipwreck Rena is slowly being cut up and some of our members are still on support vessels.

It should not be too long before they get below the waterline, which poses the next question – what about the rest underneath.

We know that there are still containers in her, so how much commitment is there going to be to clean it all up, and restore the reef to its prior condition.

What many people are worried about is once it gets out of sight, then it may well be on the cards to let nature take its course.

However we must realise there are still containers on the ship which will pollute the reef and Motiti Island for many years to come if that’s the case.

The damage done to businesses alone has been assessed at $11 million plus from the reports in the papers and the combined claim for compensation.

National Hui

The Maritime Union was well represented at a hui of combined unions and whanau from many iwi around the country.

Over 180 Maori union members, union leaders and Iwi leaders met in Tauranga last week and have resolved to both strengthen the relationship between unions and Iwi to progress the rights of workers in this country.

I would like to add that Grant Williams, Alec Tauroa, and our own executive member Thomas Kiwi, found it a very informative, constructive and positive hui.

I would like to express my own personal thanks to Tamapahore Marae for their warm and gracious welcome, and the powers that be that put this all together at TECT Arena at Baypark.

C3

We finally seem to be getting somewhere with the communication and are pleased to report that they will be taking on another 6 members here.

This should alleviate the need to bring in reliefs to fill positions.

NZL

Most members here are pleased with the current environment and the fact that we are setting up career pathways for some of them.

Hopefully when the situation arises they will be ready for the challenge of more secure employment.

18 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

Te Manu Toroa

We have initiated bargaining here.

We have had a meeting and the indication seems to be that the freeze that was on here may be thawing somewhat.

Wilsons Parking

The workload has gone up here with the toll road being used more at a higher rate.

This had made a significant increase to the coffers here and the members should take pride in the fact they do an outstanding job with the increased workload.

NZM

Very quiet sometimes and have been used to alleviate C3 when workload pressure came on.

In saying that, we here in this port would much rather they be used for top ups due to the many years of experience most of the workers have within the wharf environment.

Gisborne

By Dein Ferris As this is our quiet time of the year, this report will reflect this.

Apart from the occasional trip out of port and our usual line of shipping, ply and Kiwifruit, we find ourselves attending refresher courses (First aid was the last one),or taking annual leave.

The Port is still doing its share of logs and the state of the roads and port areas shows this.

Since our last report the condition of these has probably worsened.

Can’t be good for the health.

Summer is on the way and along with it hopefully another successful squash season.

Maybe with the rail still being out and no sign of repair, we may get some benefit.

UCL

Agreement signed off finally.

Ballance

Well we finally have a date for the upcoming investigation meeting with the ERA and Ballance in regard to the acidulation problem, to be held on the 18 October.

We are all hoping this will be sorted ASAP.

Branch activity

The branch membership is increasing.

We have been very proactive in trying to make sure that the stress encountered on the wharves in this day and age is constantly addressed.

There is no place for call in staff from an agency that does not know if they will be required to work again tomorrow.

All that is doing is adding to the stress, as when people are employed on the wharf it is imperative that your mate alongside you knows his job.

We work in confined places, with many movements of machinery and cargo happening, and we need people that know what they are doing.

An induction video does not cut it when most of the guys who will be showing them have no training experience.

Hence stress in the workplace. A recent article from our local paper on this topic is reprinted elsewhere in this Maritimes.

Auckland

To our comrades in Auckland we wish you well in your continued struggle, as it is our struggle too.

The attacks on you are crucial points of which everyone who works or wishes for a fair days pay and fair treatment should be very alarmed at.

The implications of this dispute and the issues affect us all.

Timaru

By Kevin Forde At the time of writing this report, the Port Company has gone out of stevedoring which has left a void.

A new shipping service MLC is coming in replacing Maersk and Hamburg Sud as of October this will leave msc and tasman asia without contracts to stevedoring We are concerned that ISO will throw their hat in the ring.

The AGM is in late November, following the National Conference, and I will not be standing again as delegate to the Council as I will have 50 years service on 12 February next year.

I have enjoyed my 12 years on the national council and met a lot of great people, but I think it is time for new blood.

Branch Secretary Tony Townshend adds to this report that the manager of Timaru Cargo Services is leaving after two and a half years at the time of this report.

We don’t know who his replacement is, hopefully someone as equally understanding and switched on.

Timaru is increasing in work load for general stevedoring and if Tasman Orient and MSC come on stream we will have to take on more permanent men which is a good thing.

www.munz.org.nz

MUNZ Bluff branch members attend their local commemoration of Merchant Navy Day, 3 September 2012.

See page 13 for more on Merchant Navy Day.

Bluff

By Harry Holland The Port of Bluff has been going through a quiet period at the moment due to a slowdown in the log market and low container throughput on the MSC vessels.

The international trading conditions currently being experienced will cause certain sectors to be buffeted around while others will still continue to perform well.

The region is facing tough times ahead.

The Rio Tinto owned Tiwai Aluminium Smelter is shedding up to 100 jobs because of the high dollar and low aluminium prices.

Blue sky meat works is ceasing all weekend shifts which will result in a lot of job losses due to lower sheep numbers in the region.

The Mataura meat works is closing down their sheep processing resulting in up to 300 job losses.

Other freezing works in the region are also looking at reducing staff numbers or even closing as sheep stock numbers are decreasing every year.

www.munz.org.nz

The new liquid gold in Southland is dairy products.

Dairy farms are on the increase at a staggering rate of knots, this at the expense of sheep farming.

South Port purchased Southland Cool Stores in August this year and we were able to sign up the 9 permanent employees.

Membership in the Branch is on the increase. We welcome all the new members into the union.

Southland Stevedoring Services Collective Agreement was signed off in September for a two year term.

A number of Branch members turned up to Merchant Navy Day on 3 September to commemorate the merchant seaman and their contributions during times of war.

The reason why 3 September is the chosen date is because that was when the first British Merchant ship was sunk in 1939.

We are well advanced in our preparation for the InterPort sports tournament 11–14 February 2013.

A reminder to all Branches to send your entries to ray.fife@munz.org.nz

Interport Sports Tournament 2013 The Interport Sports Tournament will be held in Bluff from Monday 11 February 2013 - Thursday 14 February 2013.

The sports will be golf, fishing, and pool and darts.

Entries close 30 October 2012.

Golf - Queens Park Golf Club, Invercargill Fishing - Bluff Pool and darts - if sufficient entries, Bluff Entry fee: Golf, pool and darts $150, Fishing $250 Golf accommodation: Queens Park Motels (03)2144504 Homestead Villa Motel (03)2140408 Heritage Court Motel (03)2147911 All motels are within easy walking distance from the golf course.

Accommodation is limited in Bluff.

For any assistance, contact Bluff Branch Secretary Ray Fife on 0274475317 or email ray.fife@munz.org.nz

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 19

Prime Port Timaru laying off 50 or more wharfies and now chemical manufacturer Nuplex to shed some 80 jobs, Kawerau’s paper mill Norske Skog is expected to announce some 120 job cuts, Tiwai Points smelter owned by Rio Tinto will shed 100 jobs by November, and North Island Mussel processors 220 full and seasonal staff.

This is on top of massive cuts to Government staff in Defence, Internal Affairs, DOC, IRD and Foreign Affairs.

Is it any wonder that the morale of hard working Kiwis is at all-time low, decent citizens of this country should be able to work and provide for their families.

Changes to the ERA (Employment Relations Act)

Maritime Union Wellington Branch attend protest against asset sales, from left Wellington Branch President Bradley Clifford, Branch Assistant Secretary John Whiting, and branch member Andrew Parker (photo contributed by Alan Windsor)

Wellington

By Mike Clark and John Whiting

Dangers at sea

Members need no reminding of the dangers at sea with the recent fire on board the 64 metre fishing vessel “Amaltal Columbia” and the subsequent 43 crew members abandoning the vessel in rough seas approximately 70kms northeast of Lyttleton Heads.

Given the sea state which was reported as being a 4 metre swell and winds of 30 knots, it was great news to hear that all crew were rescued by other vessels that responded to the mayday call.

39 were picked up by a Russian fishing vessel the “Ivan Golubets” and four by the “San Discovery” and taken to Lyttleton.

Even more amazing was that there were no casualties.

Nevertheless, it would have been a harrowing time for the crew.

This is a timely reminder for our members working on vessels that fire and abandoning ship drills are a very important part of our duties and as such should be taken seriously as we never know when we could be involved in a similar situation.

20 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

Rena

While on the subject of dangers at sea, we have been having discussions with senior members of salvage company Resolve Salvage and Fire, who have been awarded the contract for the removal of the bow section of “MV Rena”.

At this stage it has been agreed that 4 of our members will be engaged on the tug and barge which is in transit from Singapore.

This part of the project is expected to take up to three months with the future of the rest of the vessel unlikely to be decided until sometime next year.

Some diving enthusiasts want the remainder of the vessel to become a dive site while others want to see Astrolabe Reef be returned to its natural state and every piece of the vessel removed.

Asset Sales and Unemployment

Since the controversial legislation allowing partial asset sales in late June and which passed by a single vote cast by a proxy 61 votes to 60, hundreds of jobs have been lost.

The latest being the axing of some 220 staff and 130 contractors at Spring Creek on the West Coast which will impact hugely on the West Coast, which is still in recovery mode from the devastating Pike River disaster.

Fellow Government owned Kiwirail has kicked off a consultation process with staff after confirming it will cut 158 jobs from its infrastructure and engineering division around the country.

Hard times for workers are going to be made harder with the Government introducing three bills which could affect all workers financially and undermine our employment rights.

As the gap between rich and poor grows wider, the current National Government is going to make it tougher for unions to negotiate fair pay.

Ignore the spin from Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson that there are only modest changes to be made.

These changes are deeply concerning as they are designed to further drive down wages and conditions.

So much for the Prime Minister’s spiel on the 9 May this year that “Narrowing the wage gap with Australia is certainly something this Government is aiming to do”.

Does this mean exporting all our talented workers across the ditch as this would certainly narrow the gap?

I believe the Government preaches a load of codswallop! The basic changes are new staff can be hired on less pay, secondly, employers can walk away from bargaining, less efficient agreement (Mecas) employers can walk away from negotiations.

Google collective bargaining in New Zealand or DOL New Zealand for a full explanation.

Interislander

In August Interislander celebrated 50 years of moving freight and passengers across the Cook Strait.

According to statistics since then the service has carried more than 35 million people and covered more than 10 million nautical miles.

At present the three ferries annually make 4,500 sailings, carry 785,000 passengers, 52,000 rail wagons, 72,000 trucks and 210,000 cars so in dollar terms the profits generated in 50 years must be enormous.

It would be interesting to see that statistic thrown in amongst the others.

www.munz.org.nz

The turnaround plan of Kiwirail (TAP) is about making the business financially sustainable by 2020 and as far as Interislander is concerned the only way to achieve this is by cutting crew costs.

The Wellington Executive are currently having discussions over proposals put to them by management, like our counterparts on the rail side of the business which is in direct competition with a subsidised road transport industry.

Interislander has a competitor, Strait Shipping, who appear to be maintaining a strong position on the Cook Strait so the question needs to be asked, do we have the required skill levels on the management side of the business or is it another ploy to cut costs to make the business look profitable to potential buyers?

CentrePort – Wellington Port Company

The recent news that a substantial volume of cargo will move away from the Port of Wellington in the near future does not bode well for our members on-going prospects.

This is another example of the hands off, law of the jungle mode of race to the bottom competition between Ports around New Zealand.

As in the past, the major impact will be on the workers at the coalface.

Assurances from the company re seeking alternative work are welcome and success in this area will be vital.

In dealing with the impact of this decision, and on all matters that impact on our incomes and working conditions it is critical that our members tighten up on acting collectively.

This requires all members on the worksite recommitting to the tried and trusted practices of working through their delegates and elected representatives on all workplace issues.

In turn our spokesmen must continue to work hard at raising all issues strongly, this will continue to develop confidence within the membership that collective Union activity is our proven answer in protecting all our workplace terms and conditions.

Letter received from Spring Creek coal miners “Mike, I just wanted to extend our thanks to your delegates and members alike for all their assistance during our trip to lobby the ministers last week.

In real times of struggle the only friends we have is like minded brothers and sisters within the trade union movement.

This commitment to help others in struggle was displayed before, during and after the trip by your members to which we will be forever appreciative.

On behalf of my members here at Spring Creek we offer our thanks and gratitude.

Regards Trev Bolderson Spring Creek, Site Convenor”

Letters Global Solidarity and Victory in Rio Tinto Lockout in Alma, Québec Dear Brother Fleetwood: The six month lockout of our members by mining giant Rio Tinto in Alma, Québec is over.

In a decisive win, members of USW Local 9490 ratified an agreement by a wide margin that strictly limits the company’s ability to contract out work at the facility. Rio Tinto was forced to retract its demand that future workers be nonunion subcontractors earning half the wages of union members and few benefits.

Our members are proud of their fight and are walking back in the plant with their heads held high knowing that their refusal to accept Rio Tinto’s brutal demands and their unshakable solidarity was the foundation of this victory.

But our fight and victory is not ours alone.

Rio Tinto’s contracting-out demands and our members selflessly standing up for their community and younger workers resonated all over the world.

Time and time again, we heard of similar stories coming from Rio Tinto facilities in North America, Europe, Australia and Africa. The struggle in Alma became a global fight against deunionization in the resource sector. And so their victory is all of labour’s victory and should inspire all of us.

This success could not have been achieved without the support of workers and their unions all over the world, and we are writing to thank all the unions for your support which came in many forms – donations, messages of solidarity, hosting us in our global tour, and attending the rally of 8,000 persons in Alma.

The Off the Podium campaign exposed the hypocrisy of Rio Tinto’s Olympic involvement and pressure mounted through an outpouring of support: 13,000 citizens and 60 national unions from over 30 countries wrote to their Olympic committees to protest Rio Tinto’s involvement.

Australian unions and Unite in the UK were particularly active in demonstrating at Rio Tinto’s annual general meetings and in protesting the company’s participation in the London Games The USW is fully committed to continuing the struggle against Rio Tinto under the leadership of IndustriALL and the CFMEU of Australia which is coordinating the building of a stronger global network of trade unions at Rio Tinto.

We believe that all of us working together have sent an unmistakeable message not only to Rio Tinto but to all of the multinational companies that we will fight globally and can win.

In solidarity, Leo W. Gerard International President, USW Ken Neumann National Director for Canada, USW Daniel Roy District 5 Director, USW

Blast from the past, from left, Vic Johnson, Dave Morgan, Don (The Hop) Hobson, Terry Veale, and Trevor Mariner www.munz.org.nz

Marc Maltais President, USW Local Union 9490

The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 21

Nelson Merchant Navy Day

By Bill Moore

Review: The Saltwater Highway: the story of ports and shipping in New Zealand

By Gordon McLauchlan (David Bateman Publishing) Covering the history of the maritime industry from the early days of New Zealand’s nineteenth century ports up until the present day, The Saltwater Highway is written in a journalistic style, rather than an academic one, and is not a slim volume – it runs to over 250 pages.

The focus tends to be more on the ports than the shipping side of the industry, although both sectors are throughly intermeshed in the wider maritime industry.

Much of the book is taken up with individual histories of individual New Zealand ports, with separate sections on “working on the wharves”, port reform, and the age of containers.

McLauchlan is one of New Zealand’s most well known authors and journalists, who has written many books on diverse topics.

The book was commissioned by the port employer’s association, but the author notes he was given editorial freedom.

While normally I would be sceptical, in this case, the author does strive to include diverse viewpoints including waterside workers and thoroughly covers many of the industrial battles. It’s not just a one sided puff piece for the employers.

Included is an at times amusing interview with Wellington waterfront identity, the late Tommy Gregory, who made quite an impact on the author from the sound of it.

‘The Saltwater Highway’ provides a useful overview of the evolution of our maritime industry. It is definitely worth getting hold of for anyone who works in the industry and those who want to understand its development.

22 | The Maritimes | Spring 2012

Two 15-year-old Merchant Navy deck boys from Petone were “almost certainly the youngest New Zealanders killed on active service during the Second World War”, a commemorative service was told in Nelson on Saturday.

The Nelson branch of the Merchant Navy Association was celebrating Merchant Navy Day, established by the Government two years ago in recognition of the service and sacrifice of non-military seafarers in the two world wars.

Guest speaker Ben Gibbs, a former Nelson seaman who later became a university professor, said the youngest Merchant Navy members in World War II were only 14, the oldest 75 or more.

“Legally, merchant seamen had the status of civilians, non-combatants. This isn’t to say that their working environment was less dangerous than that of their brethren in the armed forces. On the contrary, the Merchant Navy lost more men through enemy action in the Second World War, proportionately speaking, than any of the armed forces. Only the German U-boats lost a higher proportion of their men.”

Mr Gibbs said that in the case of tankers carrying aviation fuel, “everyone aboard the vessel knew that they were sailing on a huge incendiary bomb, without any means of defending themselves against disaster”.

On the trade routes between New Zealand and Britain alone, 64 merchant ships, many of them registered in New Zealand, were sunk by enemy action.

One of them was the Port Hunter, which carried the two 15-year-olds, “probably school friends who decided to go to sea together out of a juvenile spirit of adventure”, and a 17-year-old deck boy.

There were only two survivors from that swift sinking near Madeira, men who had been sleeping on deck.

Closer to home, the Nelson-owned Puriri, requisitioned by the navy for a minesweeper but crewed by merchant seamen subject to navy discipline, went down with the loss of five lives close to Whangarei after hitting a German mine in 1941. Four of the 26 survivors were from Nelson.

“The names of the victims of the Puriri sinking are not included in the official lists of merchant seamen killed by enemy action. Their names are recorded in the lists of naval war dead,” Mr Gibbs said.

“We don’t mind that at all, but we feel that we have a share of them.

“We of the Merchant Navy Association regard these men as our men, and our association honours them today, and all the other merchant seafarers who died in war.”

Branch president Tom Rowling said the service of the Merchant Navy in both world wars should have been recognised and celebrated many years ago.

It had finally been acknowledged as the fourth service along with the army, navy and air force.

“Without the effort and contribution made by this service, no war would have been waged or won,” he said.

About 80 people attended the 11am service at the Anzac Park war memorial, mainly retired or serving merchant seamen and family members, with a guard of honour provided by Sea Cadets and crew members from the navy inshore patrol boat HMNZS Taupo, in port for the weekend.

Afterwards, Captain Rowling said numbers were slightly up on last year’s inaugural service and he expected a gradual growth as word spread.

“It’s hard for a lot of the seafarers to make these days because they’re at sea, so there’s a 50-50 chance of them being here.

“There are quite a few new ones here today, and it’s lovely to see the new faces.”

This article was brought to our attention

by Barry Jackson and is reproduced by kind permission of the Nelson Mail where it appeared on 3 September 2012.

Seafarers’ Scholarships Three scholarships for students are available each year as part of the Seafarers’ Scholarship.

University

One $5000 scholarship is available annually for study at a New Zealand University through Universities New Zealand – Te Pokai Tara.

The closing date is 1 December.

Polytechnic/Institute of Technology

Two $3000 scholarships are available annually for study at a New Zealand Polytechnic or Institute of Technology.

Closing Date is 4 December.

Application forms and more information on the MUNZ website at: www.munz.org.nz/about-2/ seafarers-scholarships/

www.munz.org.nz

MITRE TAVERN SOCIAL CLUB

MARITIME UNION OF NEW ZEALAND Local 43 Lyttelton Branch

The Lyttelton Rugby Club would like to thank all our sponsors for their support for our 47th annual Titahi Bay Trip 2012

Assistant Coach Ben Dow

Coach Wayne McLean

Lyttelton Service Station (1993) ph 328 8749

Adam Dow

Billy Carson

PORT HILLS FORKLIFT CENTRE

Hamish Laing

Lyttelton Plumbers

TAS YOUNG Phone 328 8845

Marshal Masterson

A special thanks must go to The Maritime Union of New Zealand Local 43 for their generous grant from their Earthquake Relief Fund. This trip started over a couple of beers at a local bar in Lyttelton where a watersider Norman (Skeeta) Bachop (from the Lyttelton Rugby Club) and a seaman Bill (Pincha) Martin (from the Titahi Bay Rugby Club) were discussing on which club had the better underweight team. After a couple more drinks it was decided that Skeeta would arrange that the Lyttelton Rugby Club would send a team to play a team from Pincha’s Titahi Bay Rugby Club to settle this discussion. The Lyttelton Rugby club just hosted Norths (Titahi Bay) last weekend where a good spirited match was contested between the two clubs with Titahi Bay coming out the winners only in the last five minutes of the match by 33-26. This weekend Lyttelton will be visiting Norths (Titahi Bay) to play for the annual shield which Titahi Bay hold from last season. Thank you Clinton Norris

Bradley Newton

Cam Merhrtens

Jackson Gilmore

Jonty Griffiths

Lyttelton Club Inc (Top Club)

Monte Mouat

Lyttelton Fishing Co. Ltd

Curtly Shrimpton

Josh Riley

Riley Family

Morgan Hanrahan

Manager Carolyn Paulden

Dick Brown at

Flynn Marshall

Lyttelton Club Inc (Top Club)

Canterbury Kilwinning lodge no 23

Henry Moala

President Clinton Norris

Nick Dunn

Rueben Cotter

Joshua Kotara Lyttelton Club Inc (Top Club)

Ryan McLean

Dave Sanders & Family

Mark Hughes Ph 386 3154

Sam Wells

Shakani Tupuailei

John v Kerr (C.A) Ltd

Alan Goodmanson & Family

www.munz.org.nz

Solomon Hurrell

Tem Bennett

Daryl Bennett Plumbing Ltd

Tyler Newton

William Paulden

Lyttelton Club Inc (Top Club) The Maritimes | Spring 2012 | 23